


Put a Little Love on Me

by Hey_Angel1989



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:09:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24358609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hey_Angel1989/pseuds/Hey_Angel1989
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne/Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were born at a different time? No, I'm not trying to be pretentious or say that I belong in a different decade. I just wonder sometimes what it would’ve been like if I was born in a different moment, a different place. Would I have eventually ended up where I am now? Would I be sitting here at the edge of the catwalk at the O2 Arena? Or would I be struggling to find work?

Would I have found love already? 

Louis’ thoughts were disrupted by the sound of Liam’s voice calling him, the voice got closer, hitting him in the back of the head as the younger boy ruffled his hair. 

“Whatcha thinkin about?” Liam crouched next to Louis, cocking his head. Louis gave him a faint smile and looked out at their three friends goofing off beside the stage. He took a deep breath and looked back at Liam.

“Nothing,” he said softly. “I’m just a little nervous, first day jitters.” He smiled again. 

Liam nodded and looked out at where the crowd would be tonight. He looked down at his phone, placed his hand on Louis' shoulder to get back up from his crouched position.

“C’mon” he ushered Louis up off the ground. “Breakfast will help with that.”

Louis nodded, following Liam off the stage. “Breakfast boys, c’mon lets go!” Liam whistled to the others. They followed quickly after.

Louis was walking slowly behind, taking in everything. After breakfast, the boys went to their dressing room to relax for a bit. He sat on the couch next to Zayn, resting his head on the boy's shoulder. He was tired and anxious and he knew Zayn was too. Louis was good at reading people, especially his boys.

When Zayn was anxious, occasionally he’d show the obvious signs like being quiet or being sharp with his responses, but it was what was in his eyes that Louis noticed. Zayn's eyes would look bigger, like a deer in headlights, only..sweeter. He’d start fidgeting with his middle finger, moving his fingers over a ring that wasn’t even there.

It was a tick he had, something Louis’d picked up on.

Quietly, Louis would reach over and hold Zayn’s hand, squeezing it gently so the younger boy knew he wasn’t alone. Zayn never made a peep, but he’d always squeeze back.

Sometimes the others noticed, but they never said anything. Louis assumed it was because they didn’t want to cause Zayn anymore stress.

On stage it was a little harder to do things without drawing attention to them, so he resorted to making him laugh.

Louis cared a lot for his boys and they cared a lot about him. Each one had a special place in his heart. Zayn was his anxious partner in crime, Liam was his protector and the one he went to for literally anything, Harry was his motivator and Niall? Niall was the love of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometimes, Louis hated himself for his feelings. Mostly because he didn’t know which one’s were platonic and which one’s were sexual. Sometimes, they crossed both lines and he didn’t know what to think.

Take tonight for example.

They’d been on the road for a few weeks now and everyone seemed to have gotten into their grooves, but Louis still felt an odd feeling in his stomach. It was there when he woke up, when he went to eat breakfast, when he was meeting fans outside of the show, it never left unless he was with him.

When he’d get stressed, the other boy was always the first to notice. He was always the first to Louis aside, away from the chaos. 

Tonight had been one of those nights.

It was about almost immediately after the show that they approached him. He was practically pushed into the dressing room before Ryan started going off about how he needed to straighten out, stop fucking around. Louis saw as the boys approached the room, they all looked nervous, not wanting to get yelled at as well. He made eye contact with Harry, giving him a quick look to not come in the room. 

“You’re immature and acting idiotic Louis, do you want to ruin the band’s image?” he spat. Louis shook his head. “No sir.” 

“Well you’re walking on thin ice got it? Don’t think for a second we cant pull you from the group.”

Louis bit into his cheek, maintaining his composure as he continued to get screamed at in front of his friends. He was fine taking the heat. Liam however was not.

He’d approached late in the conversation, only hearing the last line, the threat to Louis' career. He quickly brushed past the boys and into the room, placing an arm around his friend’s waist, pulling him to his side before whispering in his ear to leave the room. Louis nodded, leaving Liam and the other man to hash things out. As the door shut behind him, he and the other boys began to walk to their bus, but Louis could hear the shouting coming from that room. He heard Liam’s voice, he couldn’t pick out exactly what he was saying but it made him feel warm knowing the other boy was there for him.

Liam made him feel warm a lot.

That night while the others made their way to bed, Louis sat in the back of the bus, head resting against the cushion. His stomach ached again. It wasn’t a normal stomach ache, but it felt like a mix of fear, anxiety and stress. He looked up as he saw Liam walking towards the back room. 

Liam sat next to Louis, wrapping his arm around the older boy and pulling him against him like he did an hour or so before.

Louis rested his head against Liam's chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Liam asked softly. Louis mumbled a quiet “yep” before snuggling against Liam’s chest. He could feel the sigh coming from the other one. He looked up at Liam, his own tired eyes could tell the whole story and he knew that Liam could see that.

Liam could read Louis like a book.

“You know whatever’s been bothering you, you can tell me,” Liam said, cupping Louis' face. “Literally anything.”

Louis looked deeply in Liam’s eyes wondering if he should tell him. Tell him all the different thoughts he’d been feeling. How he didn’t know what to feel anymore. That he didn’t know if it even mattered because he was falling for someone who wouldn’t want him.

He bit his lip and shook his head.

“Not yet huh?” Liam said.

“No,” Louis shook his head. “But maybe soon.”

Liam nodded, reaching to squeeze Louis’ hand. “Well, whenever you’re ready, I’m here okay?” He lifted Louis hand and kissed it gently. “Always.”

He placed Louis hand back down, situating himself before standing up.

“I’m gonna head to bed, get some rest alright lad? You need it.” Liam said before exiting the room.

Louis nodded, relieved that for the first night in a while the stomach ache disappeared and he could sleep peacefully.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry Styles. How could he describe his relationship with Harry?

It was an odd one, but something he wouldn’t replace for anything. If Liam was the person that looked out for him, Harry was the one that gave him the confidence to push forward.

It was his voice, the things he would say to Louis, things no one ever told him about himself that made him love that boy. When Harry spoke it was like Louis was attached, nothing could distract him.

They bounced off each other well. They had a ritual they did before they went on every night, something to calm each other down, although Louis was sure it was mainly for his own jitters because he hadn’t seen Harry get stage fright in a while. 

Minutes before they’d go on stage, Harry would gently grab the back of Louis' neck and tell him something he loved about him and Louis would do the same. It wasn’t what you’d think. He didn’t compliment his looks or anything like that, the things he’d say were more...meaningful. Tonight his choice of words hit Louis in the chest.

Louis stood sidestage, jumping up and down to get his adrenaline going much like the other boys were. He looked over at Niall who was stretching alongside Zayn and Liam. He watched as Niall rolled his neck, how he smiled when Zayn spoke to him. Louis loved that smile. His dimples, the way his eyes shined so vibrantly blue in the sunlight.

He smiled, so focused on the younger boy that he didn’t hear Harry calling his name, it was only when the cold hand on the back of his neck turned him around.

Harry must’ve noticed Louis’s eyes wandering because he was giving him a quizzical look. He glanced at Niall before giving Louis a kiss on the forehead, “Not tonight love,” he said patting Louis on the shoulder.

Louis went to speak. He was confused, was Harry angry with him? 

“Harry-” he called out, but the music had already started and he didn’t have the time to question his actions.


	4. Chapter 4

“Nialler huh,” he scoffed. “I just don’t understand why you had to pick him.”

Harry rolled his eyes as he changed out of his sweaty shirt. Louis sighed. The whole show Harry had been giving him the cold shoulder. He tried a few times to walk over to the younger boy to straighten things out, but Harry would do an about face and walk to stand by one of the other boys, but now...as the two sat alone in the dressing room, he was feeling it.

Louis figured it was jealousy, but it confused him because Harry had never shown this anger when Louis would be affectionate towards the other boys. What made Niall any different?

He figured it would be best to deny it all. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said as he finished changing his clothes. He piled his dirty shirt into the duffle bag and placed the straps over his shoulder looking at the younger boy.

Harry shook his head as he placed his own bag over his shoulder. He huffed.

“I saw you Lou,” he said. “You were practically undressing him with your eyes.”

“No I wasn’t,” Louis retorted. “Niall’s my friend Harry, do I need your permission to look at him?”

Harry rolled his eyes and brushed past the older boy, leaving Louis alone.

Louis followed after shortly, making his way to the bus where the rest of his friends sat. As he walked on he noticed it was a lot colder and quieter than usual. He tip toed past the bunks, assuming the boys were already passed out. He didn't want to wake any of them and he sure as hell didn't want to get into a fight with Harry about Niall again so he made his way to the lounge, his safe space. He liked it there. It was spacious and didn't make him feel closed off like his bunk did.

It's weird how alone he felt lying in those things. There wasn't enough space to actually feel lonely, but those inches of empty space felt like miles to him.

Louis rested his head against one of the cushions, letting the hum of the bus driving off calm him. He closed his eyes, hoping he'd be able to fall asleep soon, but it was no use, his mind was racing. He let it take over, hoping the thoughts would form some sort of dream. 

It was his eyes he was fixated on this time, how they'd sparkle. How they'd light up when any one of the boys spoke to him. He wished it was something special, something that only Louis could make him do, but he knew it wasn't just him. He saw how Niall would melt into Harry's arms, how he'd let Zayn hold him tighter than anyone else, how he'd let Liam carry him to his bunk when he was tired.

Louis wanted to hold him like that. He wanted to feel close to someone when he laid in his bunk at night. 

His thoughts were disrupted by a figure standing in the doorway holding a water bottle. He rubbed his eyes and sat up as the boy approached, sitting next to him and rubbing his shoulder.

"You sounded like you were having a nightmare," Liam whispered not to wake the others. He handed the bottle to Louis to drink.

After taking a sip, the tired boy leaned against Liam's chest, letting the younger boy put an arm around him. 

"Was I loud?" he asked softly. 

Liam shook his head and gave him a soft squeeze on the side. "No" he replied. "Just a little whimper that's all." He sighed looking at how exhausted Louis looked.

"I got worried so I thought I'd give you some company," Liam yawned as Louis took another sip. Liam knew something was wrong, but he knew he couldn't make Louis budge. He couldn't push it out of him or else Louis would block him out. So instead he'd just continue to give him little nudges in that direction.

"Still not ready to talk about it?" he looked down, placing a finger on Louis chin to make him look at Liam. Louis just shook his head and gave the same answer he'd given Liam twenty times over. 'Not yet'

Liam was a bit frustrated, but he'd never show it to Louis. If he did, he knew the older boy would close himself off. Liam let out a soft sigh and straightened himself out in his seat, causing Louis to sit up and rub his tired eyes again. He watched as Liam went to the storage container and grabbed an extra blanket.

"Guess we're sleeping here tonight," his friend smiled sweetly.

Louis had to admit, he was worried when he saw his friend stand up, thinking he'd upset him. But all of that fear went away when Liam pulled him back to his chest and let the blanket drape over them. The worry began to subside as their breaths began to mimic one another and Louis fell into a deep and calming sleep.


End file.
